You don’t have to spend all that long on the road and touring in your motorhome to appreciate the wide range of gadgets that are available these days to make life that much easier.

Helping to sort the wheat from the chaff, here at Derby Motorhomes we suggest some of those motorhome gadgets you might consider the most useful:

Multi-tools

• beloved of boy scouts, multi-tools are not strictly or exclusively the preserve of motorhome owners, of course;
• but the neat way that a single tool can perform a whole range of functions can prove exceptionally handy when you’re exploring the great outdoors from the comfort of your motorhome;
• the potential combinations are many and varied and can include tools used as knives, screwdrivers, scissors, and that indispensable gadget at the end of the day, as the sun goes down, a corkscrew for opening your favourite bottle of wine;

Solar panels

• a portable solar energy setup is certainly something you might want to consider stowing away in your motorhome – solar panels not only provide you with a sustainable, eco-friendly source of energy, but they also provide it for free and that could help you avoid any camping site charges for an electrical hook-up;
• if you are planning visits to more remote areas well off the beaten track, then access to your own free solar-powered energy generator will clearly be a boon;

Electronic gadgets

• these days there is a mountain of small, electronic gadgetry – some of which few of us have learned to live without – and you can keep them all healthily charged simply by plugging into your solar panel array;
• that includes a cellular telephone – that can not only serve as a handy navigation aid but might prove a literally life-saving device if you need to call for help;
• thanks to the invention of e-book readers you can also pack into your motorhome a veritable library of reading material – without taking up so much space as even a single book;
• reviews published in the Independent newspaper on the 5^th of January 2023 suggest nine of the best currently available;

Universal hose pipe connectors

• as you become a more seasoned and experienced motorhome user, you’ll realise that it’s the small things that can make the world of difference;
• imagine the scene as you arrive at your well-equipped campsite only to find that none of the water outlets has the appropriate hose connector that you’ll need;
• pack your own multi-purpose universal pipe connector and the problem’s solved;

Singing kettle

• it goes by different names – a singing kettle, whistling kettle, or today’s fashionable audible kettle – but whatever you call it, you’ll get the idea;
• they might seem a little outdated in the modern world but there’s probably nothing more annoying than settling yourself outside to enjoy those last rays of sunshine while completely forgetting you’ve left the kettle on – it boils itself dry, ruining the kettle, and wasting valuable camping gas;
• let the kettle “sing” and you’ll know when tea’s ready;

Let there be light

• no camping trip is ever complete without a quality torch or hanging lantern on standby;
• thanks to the batteries in your motorhome, you might not have these trusty devices so high on your list of priorities – but they remain an essential piece of kit for anyone keen to enjoy the great outdoors;
• a fully-charged torch and an energy-efficient lantern are likely to be considered “must-have” articles to be stowed in your motorhome;

First aid kit

• try as you might to avoid any kind of mishap during your motorhome outings, accidents happen and minor injuries can be sustained;
• immediate first aid can help to avoid more serious complications later so it’s worth investing in as good a travelling first aid kit as you can afford – there are plenty to choose from;

And lastly

• once again, it’s those small things that can make all the difference – and here we’ll suggest an all-purpose, portable and compact, retractable washing line;
• by rigging up a line – either within your van or undercover in your awning – you will have somewhere to hang all manner of kit that needs a thorough drying out after a sudden squall or downpour.

Though you might want to browse some of the suggestions we’ve made here, remember that even in the biggest motorhomes, space is usually at a premium – so focus on the essentials!